Missouri
#2 Minnesota
#15 @MizzouVB Meets #2 Minnesota Friday in Sweet 16
12/7/2016 9:28:00 AM | Volleyball
Tigers seeking first Elite 8 trip since 2005
| #15 Mizzou Meets #2 Minnesota in Sweet 16 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME | WATCH | STATS |
| #2 Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minn. | Friday, Dec. 9 | 7:15 p.m. CT | ESPN3 | Stats |
COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 15 Mizzou Volleyball (27-5) continues its run in the 2016 NCAA Tournament on Friday, Dec. 9, at No. 2 Minnesota. The winner of the Tigers and Golden Gophers' Sweet 16 matchup will earn a bid to Saturday's Elite 8 contest in Minneapolis, Minn.
First serve between Mizzou and Minnesota is set for 7:15 p.m. (CT) inside the Minnesota Sports Pavilion. The match will broadcast live on ESPN3 with Sam Gore and Dain Blanton on the call.
Mizzou clinched its first Sweet 16 bid since 2010 with first and second round victories from Dec. 1-2 at the Hearnes Center. The Tigers opened their 2016 NCAA Tournament with a sweep over Northern Illinois and concluded their impressive two-night stretch with a 3-1 victory over Purdue.
Series Snapshot vs. Minnesota
- Minnesota leads the all-time series, 7-1-1.
- Minnesota leads all-time matches played in Minneapolis, Minn., 1-0-1.
- In the last meeting, Minnesota claimed a 3-1 victory over Mizzou on Sept. 12, 1998, in Minneapolis, Minn.
Mizzou Well Represented in 2016 AVCA All-Region Awards
- Mizzou garnered five total awards on Tuesday, Dec. 6, as the AVCA announced its annual All-Region awards.
- Head Coach Wayne Kreklow was tabbed the Southeast Region Coach of the Year, while redshirt junior Melanie Crow, senior Carly Kan, sophomore Alyssa Munlyn and redshirt junior Kira Larson were each named to the All-Southeast Region Team.
- Tuesday's recognition marked Kreklow's second career AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year honor, joining his accolade in 2013 as that year's Tiger squad went 35-1 and claimed the program's first-ever SEC Championship.
- Kan became the first-ever Tiger in program history to earn four First Team AVCA All-Region awards. Munlyn and Larson each recorded their second-straight All-Region honors, while Crow received her first career All-Region recognition.
- Additionally, Kan is only one of six players in the nation to receive First Team All-Region honors in each of the past four years.
Tigers Earn Redemption Over Purdue, Advance to Sweet 16
- Mizzou carried its momentum from Thursday (Dec. 1) evening's sweep over Northern Illinois into Friday (Dec. 2) at the Hearnes Center, earning a 3-1 (25-13, 22-25, 25-16, 25-21) victor over Purdue in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
- The Tigers earned their first all-time win against the Boilermakers, while also supplying redemption from their previous meeting in the 2013 NCAA Tournament (Mizzou lost 3-1 in that year's NCAA second round).
- Mizzou now advances to the Sweet 16 in this year's NCAA Tournament. It marks the Tigers' first trip to the NCAA Regionals round since 2010.
- A win Friday evening at Minnesota would advance the Tigers to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2005.
Crow Gives Tigers Fans a Memorable Performance vs. Purdue
- Crow delivered a memorable performance against Purdue, recording 25 kills on .426 hitting. Her 25 strikes marked a new career high, while also establishing the sixth 20-plus kill match of the season.
- The Tiger outside hitter's outing against the Boilermakers will live in Mizzou Volleyball postseason lore. Crow's 25 kills and 27.5 points both rank third-most in all-time Tiger NCAA Tournament action.
- In her first taste of NCAA postseason play, Crow has produced 42 kills (6.00 per set) on .393 hitting over two matches.
Additional Mizzou 2016 NCAA Tournament Tidbits
- Junior Courtney Eckenrode was sensational over Mizzou's first and second round matches. Individually, she posted 89 assists (12.71 per set), while setting the Tigers' offense to 109 kills (15.57 per set) on .372 hitting over two matches.
- In 2016 NCAA Tournament action, Larson (.412), Munlyn (.387) and Thater (.375) have all recorded exceptional hitting percentages thus far.
- Senior Alexa Ethridge was outstanding defensively in the back row, tallying 31 digs (4.43 per set) in the Tigers' two NCAA postseason victories last week.
- Additionally, Ethridge produced her 1,000th career dig in Mizzou's triumph over Purdue.
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